Mechanistic comparisons of radiolytic, sonolytic, and titanium dioxide photocatalytic degradation of MTBE Conference

O'Shea, K, Wu, T, Kim, D et al. (2001). Mechanistic comparisons of radiolytic, sonolytic, and titanium dioxide photocatalytic degradation of MTBE . ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 41(1),

cited authors

  • O'Shea, K; Wu, T; Kim, D; Cooper, W; Mezyk, S

authors

abstract

  • MTBE has been used as gasoline additive to enhance the performance of gasoline while reducing the level of VOC from the emissions of motor vehicles. Unfortunately, MTBE has been released into the environment creating a serious water contamination problem. MTBE is readily degraded by ionizing radiation, sonolysis, and TiO2 photocatalysis. Product studies of MTBE degradation by each of these processes were carried out. MTBE did not react with the reducing species generated during these processes to an appreciable extent and was not susceptible to attack by superoxide anion radical, but reacted rapidly with hydroxyl radicals. The reaction pathways were defined and reaction mechanisms were proposed to explain the formation and disappearance of several intermediate products during the remediation of MTBE by these advanced oxidation processes. Original is an abstract.

publication date

  • December 1, 2001

volume

  • 41

issue

  • 1